Handbag



HANDBAG Filed March 15, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l lillllly/ HANDBAG Filed March l5, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORZ im, m' ma,

J; H. KLQTZ HANDBAG Filed March l5, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES OFFICE'.

2,031,2181.- i HANDBAG f Jacob n. Klotz, Baena, N. Y. Application March' 15, 1933, SerialfNoi. 6.6038911 2 claims; (cr. ist-r2;

This invention relates to hand-bags for holding and conveying purposes in general and provided with' one or more suspending handles by which the bag: is carried: by the user.

Thel particular objectv of the invention is a n hand-bag having a strong structure of both its load-holding portions and its handle or handles andf particularly of. the junctions of the loadholding'portion andfhandleand a handled handbag of attractive appearance and of extremely low cost. as to bag, handle and bag-handle juno'- ti'ons. Y

The inventioni consists of the features and combinations: described' more fully below and shown: in: the drawings,y of which:

Fig. 1 is" an end? elevation of one embodiment o-lV the' invention in a hand-bag in a common.

means of the hinges involvedf in the invention,`

so as to show parts not possible to be shown in Fig. 3, asl to thek manner of sewing together the bag' and: its handles at their' junctions;

Fig-` 5 a. View of the same bag closed, but with handle Hlf of Fig. 41 moved upy on its hinges, and shown.` section, in orderV to show more clearly the constructiony of the handle whereby it is puty in useful form as to its portions both inside and outside the bag for the purpose of producing a structure wherein the bag and handle are most securely securedf together and the hinged con-- struction providedA asf a portion of a handle possessing high rigidity andv ample strength; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of another embodiment of the invention.

As' indicated. ini Fig, l, handles H,.H|l are longitudinally of ordinary generalV Uf-shape and symmetrically round or square, etc. in cross section, i. e., adapted to` provide the best grip for the hands of` the user' carrying the bag. The bag itself is in general of usual but strong construction'y and attractivel appearance'.

When the bag. is of the double-handle' type, asshown, the' construction` of bag and handle,

therelative'positions of the' parts, and the meansends oiy each` handle preferably is the same, asi

ShOWn.

As indicated im Fig. 2,.v including one end. of

one handle;r that'v endl extends down into a position: .intermediate two: long, hat, substantially straight liexible pcr'ticn's L andy C of the bag structurerr this being. the reason' why the extreme ends: of the handles do' notA appear on the outside ofthe bag,.Fig. 11. See such-ends in dotted lines inzFig.vv 5,.i'. ei., iinsid'e the bag-construction'. Thus, each end of; .each` handle is; interposed: between these long, flat, laterally flexible bag-portions L. C of Fig. 2',` at the respective sides of the bag 10 at its top'bag-opening. InFigsl. 1-4 the bag-part L- is the so-called. bag-collar and"V bag-part C is the bag-cover;

Fig.2.f`shows that the extreme ends of the generalfly tubular handle2v lie substantially nat m15 clamping position between'v bag-parts L and C altho the rest of the handle includes a rigid metallic member T built a' generally tubular and flexible handle-cover K- of thin leather, fabric, etc., as shownin Figs;V 2f and 5-r The flat, flexi- 20 ble bag-parts- Ll andi Cl are` much longer than the widths of the t'wo` ends of each' handle; the rel- A atively' narrowilat.- handle-ends lying flat betweenlthe' bag-parts L and,r C which are very short'- relative te the much greater lengths of L 25 and-C.

Fig. 3'v shows' how the ends of handle H of Fig. 21 inside the bagg-are secured to the laterally flexible bag-portions L, C', if. e.-,.by means of the porton's of the lengtls of long stitch-'line SL which 3() secure's'llong, 'exible bag-'collar L and bag-cover C to'one another. rIhese ends of handle H consist, a's shown, only of the: flexiblev material (thin leather ori fabric.. etcJf of handle-cover K; and

bag-collar L, and ba'goove'rf C* likewise are of any 35 such'4 or any other flexribleumaterial; so that in the embodiment shown@ all three of these parts which? allesecured= together by stitch-line SL are flexibleA andi can.- and do bendil laterally together desirably as aA unit under all conditions of use. 40 This provides for. tree mobility' of handles H, Hll toward? away from one another, as the result, in. any case,` df .theA flexibility and` long lengthst ot L- andiV C` te which the ends oli K are Seoul'ecll. Preferably the handle-ends: are secured 45 tof'L andj C by rivets` V addition; toL stitch-line SL. 'lh'e' above andtheother' featuresof the inventioirtbe described? constitute the structure cf a high-grade wh'ielltv can be' produced at extremely low cost of labor and materials. This 50 censtr-u'ctionik willfr bei understood better from Fig. 4; where handle in rear, has'V been pushed' bach`l en its hinges; down; and out of' sight so as tol` change" the angularf position of the bag-collar L, and` bag-cover' C,A of 2, andthereby show 55 clearly the fact that the ends'- ef the handle lie flat: between: bag-membersy LI and G (of thin flexible? fabric, leather', etc.) the rivets V extendiigfthlu? L CJF and the intermediate flat ends Kil ff1e ble9halldlcdvr K, juistl ats-the Stitch.- 60

line SL, shown in Fig. 3, likewise extends thru all three of said parts, L, KI and C, the rivets V and the stitch-line SL cooperating in securing the fiat handle-ends KI in the position inside the bag between flat laterally flexible bag-parts L and C illustrated in Fig. 2. Altho the stitch-line SL alone provides a means for uniting those three parts securely together, yet it is preferred to employ the rivets in addition, because the bag and the handle are both of strong construction, the bag contents may be heavy, and it is desirable to provide for maximum strength of the means for securing the parts together in their relative position inside the bag as in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 5, altho the structure of the portion of handle HI which extends outside the bag is of lvery'rigid construction, yet the end portions of one of the elements of the handle Hl (as K as shown) which in the example shown are secured to the interior portions L, C of the bag, are very flexible, consisting as they do, of only the ends Kl of flexible handle cover K which is of flexible leather, real or imitation, or of fabric, the end portions KI being comparatively thin, i. e., much thinner than the main handle portion HI of symmetrical cross-section and extending in U- shape outside of the bag above the ends of metallic stiiening member T. These end portions KI are not only of a thinness comparable with that of flexible bag-portions L and C, but like L and C are flat so that they conform with the flat flexible bag-portions L and C between which they are clamped and with which they are permanently united, and the combination of thin flat handle-ends KI with laterally bendable bagparts L and C is very strong, because the relative positions of the parts as shown in Fig. 2 are such that bag-parts L and C, on opposite faces of the flat handle-ends Kl strongly reenforce the latter so that when these parts are secured together, the entire areas of the flat handle-ends KI are clamped securely between bag-parts L and C so that there is ample insurance against pulling out of the handle from the bag by any load likely to be carried in the bag. The lateral exibility of bag-parts L and C provides for the desired lateral mobility of the handles relative to the bag as a whole, this being the case regardless of the flexibility of handle-endsKl which project, flat, beyond the tubular handle-portion. Further important features of this construction are described infra. This strong but simple structure of extremely low cost is permitted because it is not complicated or made expensive by the amply rigid and strong metallic wire member T Vwhich is provided to stiffen and rigidly and strongly shape the U-shaped handle K as contrasted with its junction with the flexible bagportions L and C in the relations shown in Fig. 2 to produce the hinge-effect which permits the usual movements of the handles relative to the bag as a whole. As shown in the various drawings, the portions of the iiexible handle-cover K near the portions L and C of the bag are flared as they approach L and C and as they disappear inside the bag, i. e., they are flared at the portions of the handle-cover ends where the tubular handle H as a whole (cylindrical in section) begins to flatten as the ends of cover K at KI are about to enter inside the bag and take the position shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 5 between flexible parts L and C. But at points not far above the bags and its part L, C, the handle H is shown as shaped as desired and strongly built by means of the rigid metallic wlre member T which extends throughout the horizontal portion of the handle and also down thru both its vertical portions, inside handle cover K. The securing of the projecting fiat ends of one of the handle-elements to bag-portions L, C, when they are of flexible material as disclosed, thus not only provides strong joints between handle and bag, but the flat, laterally flexible bag-portions L and C act freely as hinges so that the handle can move freely to its various positions of Figs. 3-5, just as freely as in the previous more expensive types of hand-bags with costly metal fittings between bag and handle-ends, and notwithstanding the fact that here the normally flat joints or hinges consist of flexible portions of the bag-parts Land C which iiexibility is sunlcient to provide for handle mobility regardless ol.'V

any flexibility of handle-ends Kl'. Of course, the material of flattened tube-portions KI of handlecover K is sufficiently strong to withstand all bending stresses at these points of hinging. And their strength at the hinge-portions is increased by additional structure to be described. Member T preferably is a rigid steel wire of about three-sixteenths inch diameter, more or less, so that handle H is of built-in steel construction providing ample permanent rigidity and strength at parts of the handle where rigidity and strength are desired. But other metal than steel may be employed for this member T to impart substantially equivalent strength and rigidity, and in such cases said member may be of greater diameter, even as; large as the inner diameter of flexible tubular handle-cover K, so as to give the desired good appearance to the handle and good shape for the grip of the users hand, in addition to strength and rigidity. But when, as preferred, member T is of steel and therefore can provide the desired rigidity by the relatively small diameter shown, (with correspondingly low cost for the more expensive metallic parts) then the space between metallic stiffening member T and thin exible cover K may be filled by any suitable means such as tube U of low cost felt, feltpaper or kraft-paper, etc. Usually tube U terminates with the ends of T, (because of its structural weakness not adapting it to project in fiat form between exible parts L and C) but it may extend down as far as to over-lap the handleends KI shown in dotted-lines in Fig. 5, provided that U be of such nature as not to interfere with the construction and operation as above including the free hinge-action of flexible parts L and C joined to the flared, flat portions KI of handle-cover K. Such tube U imparts transverse stiffness to flexible and otherwise collapsible cover K. Member T and tube U may be and preferably are a single unit consisting of a regular article of manufacture including the above steel wire T as a core covered with paper U. Wire T imparts longitudinal stiffness to the handle as above or other non-metallic material of low cost, such unit being enclosed by cover K. As indicated in Fig 1, flexible tubular handlecover K preferably consists of a fiat strip of the desired flexible material as above, of greater width than the circumference of tube U; K being laid around U and T, so that the edges of U overlap to a substantial extent and face one another at P where they are stitched together as shown in Fig. 1. 'I'he bag of Figs. 1 5 is shown as provided with ordinary zipper closure Z. As usual, and as shown in Fig. l, the stitched-together handlecover-overlaps P of the handle-covers K face one another Fig. 1, so as to provide at the .opposite i. e., the outer, sides of the handles, smooth surfaces for the grip oi the fingers of the user on the outer and lower sides of the two handles in positions adjacent one another in one hand of the user. But here this very facing arrangement of the portions P, P causes them, as shown in Fig. 3, to lie in positions where at first it might appear that they (extending in the direction of handle-movement toward adjacent positions of the two handles) would interfere with the free flexing of the flattened ends of handlecover K at the portions where said ends are secured between flexible bag-portions L and C'. But I have employed portions P, P usefully toincrease (1) the strength of the flexible hinges between the handle-ends and the flexible bagportions L and C, and (2') to increase the security of the fastening of the steel-built handle I-I to said flexible bag-portions, as follows. Before stitching the parts L, K and C together, as by Sl Fig. 3, in the relative positions shown in Fig. 2, the end portions Pl, PI of the stitched-together facing lmargins P, P of handle-cover K, at the flattened projecting ends Kl, Kl of cover K, are bent sidewise over against the main portions o-f said flattened ends KIv of tubular cover K, Figs. 3 and 4. This increases the strength of the flattened hinge-portions Kl of handle-cover K by doubling their thickns altho it increases their stiffness, and furthermore it increases the security of the assembly of L, KI and C, Fig. 2, by providing, flat between L and C, Fig. 4, four thicknesses of the not very strong material of KI, so that stitch-line SL secures together six thicknesses of flat material. The overlapping margins P, P of K, K are made wide enough to permit the above folding-over of P upon K.

In the modification of Fig. 6, the bag and handle constructions are similar to the above; and also as above, the stitch-line SL is the same as that which in Fig. 3 secures together the flat flexible bag-parts L, C and the flat flexible handleends Kl. But in Fig. 6, where stitch-line SL secures the fiat, quadrupled-material handle ends Kl to thin, flexible bag-p-art C, those ends Kl instead of extending into the bag-construction in locations in the interior of the bag as in Figs. 1-5, extend into the bag-construction at locations on the outside of the bag, i. e. flexible ends Kl, stitched to bag-cover C as before, are stitched to the outside face of that cover C, as shown, instead of to its inside face and to flexible part L facing C. As in Figs. 1-5, rivets V may sup plement SL here in Fig. 6, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. -In this case, since interior bag-part L (the bag-collar) is not used to clamp the handle ends KI to bag-cover C, the outside strips LI, L2 (of fabric, leather, etc.) are employed in lieu of L, being stitched as shown at SL2 to the outside of bag-member C in positions such that the upper ends of LI and L2, overlie, clamp and conceal the handle-cover ends KI, and also cover rivets V if used. Here in Fig. 6, however, the stitch-line SL as in Figs. 1-5, secures together parts KI and C, said lineSL not being applied until after LI and L2 are stitched to C at SLZ, so that line SL secures Ll and L2 to C in addition to securing the flat handle ends KI to C; i. e., so that line SL secures together all three parts LI, KI and C in Fig. 6 just as it (line SL) in Figs. l5 secures together the corresponding three parts L, Kl and C. In Fig. 6 it is to be understood that Ll, L2 may and usually do extend around the bottom of' the bag to which they are Y secured. If desired the outside strips LI, L2

may be in the form of integral continuations of 5 the flat handle ends Kl. In any case, in Fig. 6, the bag-cover C (which is secured to thin fiat ends of elements of the handles which project beyond the tubular portions of the handles) is of freely flexible material as specified above, so that the 1 handles thereby can be moved freely as in more costly bags having expensive metallic fittings between bag and handle, irrespective of flexibility of handle-ends KI themselves.

Having thus described certain embodiments of 1 the invention, what is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture for combination with a hand-bag constructed with two flexible members having stitched-together facingportions in the vicinityof its top opening, an ex- 2 terior two-ended generally U-shaped handle including a flexible generally tubular non-metallic cover and a built-in metallic member therein imparting rigidity thereto, said handle-cover consisting of a long relatively narrow flexible strip 2 substantially wider than the dimension of the periphery of said metallic member and laid around the latter with overlapping longitudinal margins of substantial width facing one another and secured together; said overlapping margins 3 projecting laterally from the handle; and the ends of the handle-cover including said projections extending beyond the ends of said interior metallic member and said overlapping margins having sufficient width to enable them to be 3 folded over on the main portion of said extending ends of the handle-cover, all whereby said ends and the overlapping margins folded thereover are substantially flat and flexible with four thicknesses ofvmaterial and adapted for interposition 4 between and securing to the two stitched-together flexible portions of the hand-bag.

2. The combination with a hand-bag constructed with two flexible members having stitched-together facing-portions in the vicinity 4 of its top opening, of an exterior two-ended longitudinally U-shaped handle comprising interior and exterior correspondingly U-shaped elements which include a flexible generally tubular nonmetallic cover and a built-in metallic member 5 therein imparting rigidity thereto, said U-shaped handle-cover consisting of a long relatively narrow flexible strip substantially wider than the dimension of the periphery of said metallic member and laid around the latter with overlapping 5 longitudinalV margins of substantial width facing one another and secured together and projecting laterally from the length of the handle transversely of said mutually-facing stitchedtogether bag-members; the ends of said handle cover, including said secured-together overlapping longitudinal margins, extending longitudinally beyond the ends of said interior U-shaped metallic member, the extending tubular ends of the handle-cover being flattened and said laterally extending margins being folded over on them and such folded and extended structure lying substantially fiat and in four thicknesses between said stitched-together bag-portions and secured thereto.

JACOB H. KLOTZ. 

